Beverage dispensing apparatus



May ,7, 1935. w. E. DOUGHTY Q BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed March 8,' 1933.

grime/HM 641/ (7/ 117 zi ouyl if M WW Patented May 7, 1935 PATENT oFrrcE BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS William E. Doughty, Detroit, Micln, assignor to James Vernor Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application March 8, 1933, Serial No. 560,047 13 Glalms. (01. 225-21) This invention relates to carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus and has as its objects to simplify, render more eflicient, and improve generally apparatus of this character.

One of the important objects of the invention is to provide a beverage dispensing apparatus in which the beverage may be maintained in a properly chilled condition in a display container and directly dispensed therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character in which a carbonated beverage may be consistently maintained at a predetermined level in a display container or chamber and wherein the level is maintained automatically in a simple and eflicient manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a beverage dispensing apparatus of this character in which a pre-cooler for the beverage is employed and in which the. cooling medium of the mechanical refrigerating unit is, circulated through the cooling unit associated with the display chamber and thence through the coil of the pro-cooler so that the cooling instrumentalities are in effect connected series;

The several objects, advantages and novel details of construction of theinvention, as well as one illustrative embodiment of the same, will be referred to more in detail as this description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view of a beverage dismnsing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of the display container and its associated parts, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevational view of a portion of the pro-cooler.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be noted that the apparatus comprises essentially a display container or chamber D a pre-cooler P, and a source of supply of high pressure beverage S.

If desirable or expedient, the display container D may be arranged above or mounted upon a counter or support C, whereas the pre-cooler P, and source of supply S, as well as the mechanism of the mechanical refrigerating unit (not shown) may be located under this counter or support. However, it is obvious that the disposi-- tion or arrangement of these several elements or units forms no important part of this invention and may be arranged as preferred.

' The transparent portion 01. the display container consists preferably of an inner tubular member is formed of glass and an outer tubular member it also formed of glass, these members being spaced apart as illustrated for insulating purposes. These tubular wall members 50- are mounted upon a base I! in the form of a shell preferably filled with insulating material or the like It. The top is closed by a cover or dome I4 and the connection between the wall members ill-H and the base l2 and cover it is obviously both air and liquid tight.

Extending upwardly through the center of the display container is a beverage supply pipe l5, this pipe adjacent its upper end being provided with discharge orifices i6 surmounted by a deflecting shield ll adapted to deflect the beverage downwardly into the container.

Surrounding the beverage supply pipe 85 to a height substantially coincident with the beverage level to be maintained isa tubular member 58 forming a refrigerating unit or chamber l9. Projecting radially from the tubular member 48 is a plurality of vertically arranged flns 28.

The refrigerating unit is is adapted to receive a refrigerant such, for instance, as 30:

and is employed for maintaining the beverage in I the display container at the proper temperature.

The pre-cooler P is adapted to receive the carbonated beverage from the supply tank S through a conduit 2t connected to the supply tank by means of a coupling 22, the usual shutofi valve 23 being alsoillustrated.

The beverage is admitted to the pre-cooler P through a pressure relief valve indicated generally by thereference character 2d, this beverage flowing down into the pro-cooling tank over a battle 25 which radially spreads the liquid to bring the same adjacent the periphery oithe tank and into proximity with the outer series of cooling coils it. The outer cooling coils are connected with an inner series of cooling coils 2? through'which coils the cooling medium is adapted to pass. The last coil of the outer series of cooling coils 2B is connected by means of a conduitZB to the suction side of the compressor of a mechanical refrigerating unit (not shown). Refrigerant is supplied to the cooling coils through the uppermost coil of the inner series of cooling coils ill by means of a conduit 29 which connects with the lower end of the refrigerating chamber as arranged in the display container.

Refrigerant is supplied to this refrigerating chamber is by means of a conduit at which, through the intermediary of an expansion valve 3!, is connected to the pressure line 32 of the mechanical refrigerant unit heretofore referred to but not shown.

The pressure reducing valve 2% is preferably, although not necessarily, substantially similar to the pressure reducing valve shown in my prior United States'Letters Patent No. 1,697,230 dated January 1, 1929.- Thus the discharge of beverage from the supply conduit 21 is controlled unit, the same being. actuated by means of. a rod 85 connected'to an expansible member in the form of metallic bellows 36. The discharge end of the conduit 22 connects to a chamber 31 in which the valve members operate, a spring 34 normally urging the valve members downwardly to open position. The interior of the metallic bellows or expansible member communicates with the interior of the pre-cooling tank by means of openings 39.

With this construction, it will be seen that as the pressure of the gas from the carbonated beverage increases and attains a pressure suflicient to overcome the spring 38 the metallic bellows will expand and move the valve members 33 and 34 to close the beverage inlets. When, however, the pressure in the pre-cooling tank is lowered suflicient to permit the pressure of the spring 38 to predominate, the valves are moved to open position and beverage may flow in-through the pressure reducing valve and downwardly over the 'baflle 25 into the precooling tank.

The pressure in the pre-cooling, tank is relieved every time beverage is'withdrawn from the display container D in the following manner and by means of the mechanism now to be described.

The reference character 40 indicates a dispensing faucet connected to the lower end of the display container. The discharge of beverage is controlled by means of a valve 4| seated on a seat 42, the valve being operated by means of a handle 43. The valve operates in a discharge chamber or compartment 44 which chamber communicates with the display chamber by means of an aperture 45 which, however, is more restricted in size than the discharge aperture of this chamber which is controlled by the valve 4|. Thus when the valve 4| is opened, the beverage flows out through the faucet 40 a at a greater rate of speed than the incoming beverage supplied through the more restricted aperture 45. This permits the coincidental discharge of gas which has accumulated in the upper end of the display chamber, this gas being discharged through a tube 46 which is connected to the chamber 44 and extends upwardly into the display container. The upper end of this .tube 46 is open, and when the level of the beverage in the display container is below the upper end of this tube the gas accumulated in the display container above the liquid therein can flow through the tube 46, into the chamber 44, pass the valve, and out through the dispensing faucet tcgether with the beverage being dispensed. By the continued movement of the handle 43 toward open position, the valve 4| moves to close the aperture 45 through which the beverage passes to the dispensing 'faucet so that only the accumulated gas from the top of the display container is permitted to pass out through the dispensing faucet. Thus during and at the end of each dispensing operation, a sufllcient quantity of the accumulated gas at the top of the display chamber is discharged to permit the entrance of an additional supply of beverage to maintain a substantially constant level of beverage in the display container.

Thus every time a glass of beverage is dispensed, a portion of the gas accumulated inthe display container above the liquid is' also discharged. This permits a corresponding amount of beverage to flow into the display container through the supply conduit l5, it

being understood that the pressure of gas which accumulates in the top of the pre-cooler P and the pressure of the gas which accumulates in the top of the display container are substantially the same or balanced. The gas accumulated in the top of the .pre-cooler P is permitted to pass upwardly. into the display container by the provision of one or more apertures 41 in the supply conduit at a point in this conduit adjacent the top of the pre-cooling tank. By

reason of the balancing of the gas pressure in the pre-cooling tank and display container, the leveling of the beverage in the display container is controlled, this level. being maintained substantially coincident with the upper end of the leveling tube 46.

The mechanical refrigerating unit (not shown) supplies liquid refrigerant to the conduit 32 which, on the other side of the expansion valve 3|, becomes vapor which flows through the conduit 30 and fills the refrigerating chamber l9. This vapor flows through the conduit 29 to the refrigerating coils 21-26 where, in the last coils of the outer series 26, the vapor isreduced to a.

gas in which condition it returns through the conduit 28 to the suction side of the refrigerating mechanism. From this it will be noted that the maximum refrigerating action takes.

place within the display container, the refrigerant, however, being caused to flow also through the pre-cooling coils 21-26 of the precooler P so that its refrigerating effect is utilized to a maximum extent.

In order to distribute the refrigerating'effect of the unit l9 arranged within the display container, the radially extending fins 20 are employed which project outwardly into the body of the beverage. Thus the beverage in the display container may be continuously maintained at the desired temperature so that glasses of properly chilled beverage may be drawn through the dispensing faucet.

While an embodiment of the invention hasbeenillustrated and described herein somewhat in detail, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, and to this end reservation is made to make such changes as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

WhatI claim as my invention is:

1. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a display;

chamber, a 'pre-cooling chamber, a source of liquid supply, a cooling unit in said display chamber, a cooling unit in said pre-cooling liquid supply, a cooling unit in said display. chamber, a cooling unit in said pre-coolingchamber, means connecting said source of supply to said pre-ccoling chamber, means for conducting liquid from said pre-cooling chamber to said display chamber, and means for circulating refrigerant through the cooling unit of said display chamber and thence through the a,000,sss

in the form of a coil in said pro-cooling chamber, means connecting said source of supply to said pre-cooling chamber, means for conducting liquid from said pre-cooling chamber to said display chamber, and means including conduits for conducting a refrigerant into said'cooling chamber in said display chamber and thence to said ,cooling coil in said pre-cooling chamber, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a display chamber, a pre-cooling chamber connected by conduits to said display chamber, a source of supply of beverage under high pressure, means connecting said source of supply to said pre-cooling chamber including a pressure reducing valve, a dispensing faucet for drawing beverage from said display chamber, a cooling unit in said display chamber, a cooling unit in said pre-cooling chamber, and means forconducting a refrigerant successively through said cooling units.

5. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus of the class described, a display chamber, a pre-cooling chamber into which high pressure beverage is introduced and maintained at a reduced pressure, means for conducting beverage from said pre-cooling chamber to said display chamber whereby a predetermined level of beverage is maintained in said display chamber, a

cooling unit in said display chamber, a cooling unit in said pre-cooling chamber, and means for circulating a refrigerant successively through said cooling units.

6. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apbeverage through said faucet, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a carbonated liquid dispensing apparatus, a chamber, a supply conduit connected thereto whereby liquid and gas are conducted to said chamber, a dispensing faucet for said chamber having a compartment associated therewith, a relatively restricted orifice connecting said compartment with the interior of said chamber, and a tube connected to said compartment havingan open end arranged substantiallycoincident with the normal level of the carbonated beverage whereby upon the opening of said faucet both beverage and gas may be discharged therethrough.

8. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus of the class described, a chamber, means for conductingcarbonated beverage and gas to said chamber, a dispensing faucet associated with said chamber, means other than the valve of the faucet for relatively restricting the amount of beverage which may flow therethrough when said valve is opened, and other means associated with said faucet and extending towards the top of said chamber for conducting the gas accumulated in said chamber to said faucet.

which carbonated beverage and gas are conducted to said chamber, the gas accumulating in the top of said chamber and thereby governing the level of the liquid therein, a dispensing faucet connected to a compartment by a valve controlled orifice, a second orifice of relatively restricted area providing communication between the interior of said compartment and the interior of said chamber, and a tube connected to said compartment and having its open end arranged at substantially the normal level of the beverage in said chamber, as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a beverage dispensing apparatus of the class described, a display container, a chamber adapted to receive a refrigerant located within said container, radially projecting fins on said chamber, a supply conduit extending into said display container and through said refrigerant receiving chamber, and a dispensing faucet associated with said display container.

11. In a carbonated beverage dispensing ap-' paratus, a display container having a transparent portion, a supply conduit extending upwardly into said display container, a refrigerant ing from said refrigerantreceiving chamber, and a dispensing faucet connected to said display container adjacent said refrigerant receiving chamber;

12. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus of the class described, a display container having a transparent portion, a supply conduit extending upwardly into said display container and having its discharge orifice adjacent the top of said container, a chamber adapted to receive a refrigerant extending upwardly from the bottom of said container and surrounding a portion of said supply conduit, radially extending fins on said refrigerant receiving chamber, means for circulating a refrigerant through said chamber, and a beverage dispensing faucet associated with said display container adjacent the bottom thereof and in proximity to said refrigerant receiving chamber.

13. In a carbonated beverage dispensing appro-cooling tank to a point adjacent the top,

of said display container, said conduit bein provided with gas admitting apertures therein at a point adjacent the top of said pre-cooling tank whereby beverage and gas are caused to flow through said conduit to said display con- ,tainer to maintain a predetermined beverage level in' the latter, a chamberin said display container adapted to receive a refrigerant. a cooling coil in said pre-cooling tank, and means for circulating a refrigerant through said chamber in the display container and through the coil in said pre-cooling tank.

WILLIAM E. DOUGH'IY. 

